GUWAHATI, Dec 11 � Noted actress Abha Hazarika passed away at a private hospital here at around 6-10 this morning. She was admitted to the hospital on December 1.
She was 66.
Hazarika was the first Assamese woman film director. She was also the first woman from the North-east to have a diploma from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, in 1970.
Born in 1944 at Bilasipara in Dhubri district, Hazarika exhibited her histrionic talent early and went on to act in a number of films besides acting in plays. Some of her memorable films include Manab aru Danab, Agnisnan, Baibhav, etc. A faculty member of Jyoti Chitraban Film Institute, she was also a member of the regional office of the Censor Board.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has condoled her death, saying that the State had lost a great artiste and a pioneering figure in the cinema movement. He said that her contributions would always be a source of inspiration for the aspiring artistes.
The All Guwahati Students� Union, in its condolence message, said that her death caused an irreparable loss to the State�s cultural front, especially cinema and drama. It also conveyed its sympathy to the bereaved family members.
Her husband filmmaker Indukalpa Hazarika had predeceased her.
